Cable-winding mechanism



Nov. 15, 1927. 1,649,279

R. H. BEA'UAMONT.

CABLE WINDING MECHANISM 'Filed May 6. 1926 W1 TNEssEs Z3 JNVENTOR.-

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ATTORNEYS.

Patented Nov. 15, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.`

ROBERT BEAUMONT, OF RADNOR, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO R. H. BEAUMONT CO., OF PHILADELPI-IIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

CABLE-WINDING 'ivrno1muIs1vr--v Application med May e, 1926. serial No. 107,098.

vIn winding mechanism hereto-fore used for the latterl purpose, the drums for'. the opposite ends of thefcable were both drivenatv a uniform high speed rate, and obviously/','the power required was dependent upon the ef fort necessary'to pull the full loaded scraper at the predetermined yhigh speed rate. Now, if the loaded travel ofl the Ascraper were ef-v fected at a comparatively slower speed rate than the above, andv the empty' scraper'returned ata relatively higher speed-the average operative speed could be maintained wit-h less applied', power,cand therefore with less costly equipment than heretofore required;

lThe object of my invention is to take ad-y vantage ofthe principle just recounted', and with this end in view, to provid'e'winding mechanism with theshafts of the vwinding drums for opposite ends of the cablev adapted to be driven at different speeds,l and` in which the drivingfand speed relation be.-

twe'en saiddrums may be changed as desired or required; for the purposes above outlined'.

In the drawingsFigI is aplan view,- more or less diagrammatically representedof a material storage and handling-system with which the winding mechanism of my invention may be used to advantage.

Fig. II is an elevation of the organization as vi-ewed from the bottom of Fig. I; and

Fig. III is an illustration on a larger scale-than the preceding-showing a plan VView of the winding mechanism wherebyrl attain the object above outlined.

In order to facilitate more ready understanding of my invention, I will first proceed to describe in a general way, the material storage and handling system of Figs. I and II in connection with which it is particularly useful. As shown, such a system comprises an extensive out-door storage area 10, which, in the present instance, s substantially rem tangular in outline, the upper, lower* andrear sides of the field being skirted by a number ofy posts 11 for a purpose to be presently ex7 pl'ained. The reclamation pointis located midQway of the front side of the field.- 10,; and a tower 12 at thispoint provides guides vfor a skip bucket 13 whereby the material may bev-elevated from a hopperlt located below the ground level, to a chute 15 for gravity discharge either to form an initial mound or pile P for discharge into cars 16 running on rails that extendY through the tower above thehopper 14 aforesaid. In the process of storing out, the material i's taken from the initial pileA P, and distributed over the storage area 10 by a drag scraper 17 which is actuated through the. medium lof a tow cable 1.8, by winding mechanism housed within an inclosure 19,- in the present instance located near the upperleft hand` corner of 'the tower 12 while the others marked 22,

23 are supported by guy wires 24 capable of being attached between different pairs of the posts 11 about the held edge. By this arrangement,A radial travel of the scraper 17 relative to the focalv point at which the sheaves 20, 2 1 arelocated, may be varied so that any desired area ofthe storage field maybe operated'upon. In reclamation, the processie ofcourse reversed, thaty is to say, the' dragscraper 17 is turned 'about on the cable and operated to bring its charges to the fi'ocalpointl ov'er a ramp `25, Fig.L II, by which vthe 'materialis directed into thehopper 14 previously mentioned.

Coming now tol my` improved winding mechanism or two speed drag winder, it will be observed from Fig. III that the same comprises two drums designated 26, 27, these being mounted free on separate shafts 28, 29, that are journalled in upstanding bearings 30 of an appropriate base 31. Vit-h the drums 26, 27 are associated high and low speed gears 32, 33 and 34, 35 respectively, which are iixedly secured to thev shafts 28, 29. The raised faces 36 of the low speed gears 34, 35 are conically recessed for cooperation with correspondingly tapered flanges 37 on the contiguous ends of the drums 26,` 27 and suitable means such for example as screws 88, are provided to llt) enable adjustment and maintenance of the friction couplings thus formed between said drums and the shafts 28, 29 whereon they are mounted. Journalled in bearings 89 intermediate the drums 26, 27, is a drive shaft 40 that is equipped, at one end, with a pulley 41 for coordination, by belt, with a source of power,-an electric motor for example. Splined Von the shaft 41 for simultaneous aXial shifting thereon, are a pair of pinions 42, 43 that are common to, and capable of being brought alternately into mesh with the speed gears 32, 33 and 34, 35 respectiv-ely,-suitable means, herein shown in the form of a hand-lever 44, being provided to effect such shifting.

lVith the arrangement described and with the gears positioned as shown in F ig. III, the drum 26 will obviously be driven in the same direction 'and at a higher rate of speed than the drum 27 by virtue of the difference in the ratios of the driving pinions 42, 43 and the gears 32, 35 with which they are in mesh. By shifting the pinions 42, 43

" simultaneously to the dot-and-dash line position by means of the hand lever 44, a variationin the speed relation is effected without changing the rotative direction of the drums 26, 27. Obviously, suit-able reversing means is associated with the source of power, hence, it is not deemed necessary to herein describe or illustrate the same as it forms no part of this invention. Furthermore, it is to be particularly noted that when one drume. g. 26-is clutched and pulling, the other drum -27-` is turning in the same direction but slipping with respect to its drive gear.

Considering the use of the winding mechanism in connection with the material storageand handling plant of Figs. I and II, itwill be apparent that the drag scraper 17 may be'operated at a higher rate of speed during the idle or return travel than during the active or loaded travel, the operation being selectively controllable by means of the hand lever 44 in the manner previously eX- plained. In the event of strain induced in the cable 18, differential action is permitted to take place between the drums 26, 2T under the flexibility afforded by the frictional cone couplings between said drums and the associated drive gears 32, 34 and 33, 35 fast on the drum shafts 28, 29, the apparatus being thus protected at all times against the possibility of injury.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In cable windin mechanism of the character described, winding drums for opposite ends of the cable freely mounted on separate shafts, friction couplings coupling the respective shafts and drums, high and low speed gears respectively associated with each of the shafts, and rigidly coupled high and low speed pinions adapted for simultaneous meshing respectively with the high speed gear of one, drum shaft andthe low speed gear of the other drum shaft, said pinions bein@ shiftable with respect to said gears to enable change in the driving and speed relation of said drums.

2. In cable winding mechanism of the character described, winding drums for opposite ends of the cable freely mounted on separate shafts, high and lou7 speed gears respectively associated with each of the shafts, integrally connected high and low speed pinions on an intermediate drive shaft adapted for simultaneous meshing respectively vvith the high Vspeed gear of one drum shaft and the low. speed gear of the other drum shaft, said pinions being shiftable with respect to said gears to enable change in the driving and v speed relation of said drums, and friction coupling connections between the shafts and drums permitting differential action between said drums in the event of stress in the cable.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at Philadelphia, Pennsyl Vania, this 3rd dayof May, 1926.

ROBERT H. BEAUMONT. y 

